how to paint abstract
art

To start with,
what do you want your abstract painting to look like? For instance,
do you like lots of detail, or do you prefer vast washes of color?
There are many different styles of abstract art, so the first step
is to decide which style of abstract art you would like to
paint! Then you can learn the different techniques for how to paint
abstract art in those styles.

On this page I'll
explain the steps I used to create the colorful, funky painting below.
The creation of this painting primarily involves an additive
process (also known as a layering process).
If you like color, energy and detail, this process may be very fun
and beneficial for you to try out for yourself!

Materials used:

Here's
the step-by-step painting process:

I painted the edges and sides of a 16" x 20" canvas with
red
acrylic paint. I used 2-3 layers of paint, because I wanted
the red to be really strong and opaque - not allowing any of
the white of the canvas to show through. I waited for each layer
to dry to before adding the next layer. Acrylics dry very quickly,
so this didn't take very long.

I knew what
I wanted the central part of the painting to look like - I wanted
to paint it in my usual funky
abstract style, writhing and wriggling with bold
colors, bright shapes and intricate designs! When I work in
this style, I create the shapes spontaneously and decide on
their placement in an entirely intuitive manner. I don't pre-plan
anything.

I
then painted in various shapes, one color at a time. For instance,
first I painted in all the yellow shapes. Then all the orange
shapes, then dark pink, light pink, etc.

I strive
to create a balanced variety of shapes and colors. The idea
is that the different shapes and placement of colors will cause
the viewer's eyes to bounce around the canvas. In this way I
seek to create a sense of movement and energy in these funky
artworks.

So I continue
painting in these shapes until the white canvas is entirely
covered. These shapes will form the bottom layer of the composition.
This first layer of shapes are painted next to each other, as
opposed to on top of each other.

Now
that the initial bottom layer is mostly covered, I start painting
in smaller details on top of the shapes I already painting.
This is called an additive process, or a layering
process, because it involves adding layers to create
the painting. This is one technique you can use to paint abstract
art in acrylics.

In general,
the new details I add are confined to the space of each particular
shape. Thus each shape winds up being truly unique from all
the other shapes.

I primarily
paint circles, half-circles, dots, swirls, curls, raindrops,
triangles, and lines. These designs are very influenced by tribal
folk arts from around the world.

The
process of adding more layers of detail continues. As more details
are added, they become smaller because I start placing details
on top of details.

As mentioned
earlier, the colors are chosen to create a sense of movement.
I want the colors to pop off the canvas.

The repetitive
designs start to form funky, sometimes intricate patterns.
Creating a pattern is one element you can use to make an abstract
work of art.

When I add
details, I add them one color at a time. For instance, I'll
add all the white details over the entire canvas, then I'll
add all the red ones, and so on. This means I only have to squeeze
out one color at a time. Because acrylics dry quickly, I try
not to have more on my palette than I'll actually use!

I
continue adding colors and designs until the painting "feels"
complete and balanced. Because it's an abstract painting that
is created in an intuitive manner, there is no obvious "finishing
point". I just have to let my gut feeling tell me when
the painting is done.

When working
on these types of paintings, I often turn the painting on its
side, or upside down, to see it from a different perspective.
There is not a specific side that is supposed to be the top
of the painting - I leave that up to the buyer's preference.
Turning the painting upside-down or on its side while creating
the artwork helps me to see which areas are balanced or unbalanced,
so I know where to focus.

As you can
see from this painting, there are many different shapes and
colors, but there is an overall feeling of balance and
harmony .

The
process in a pictorial nutshell:

You can see from
the images above how the process for creating this style of painting
is an additive, layering process. Basically, I keep
adding designs and adding colors until the painting has a sense of
completeness.

Here are a few
other paintings that I created using this layering process:

Frenetic
Whispering

9"
x 12"

Acrylic
on Canvas

Orderly
Chaos

12"
x 12"

Acrylic
on Canvas

Mesmeric

8"
x 10"

Acrylic
on Canvas

Wanna see what people created by following this abstract art tutorial?

I put up this tutorial over 2 years ago, and since then I've received tons of emails from teachers and beginning artists, letting me know how much they (and their students) enjoyed learning to paint abstract art in this style. That rocks! Especially when teachers tell me that students who used to hate art suddenly found themselves enjoying this project!

Here are some abstract paintings created by Heather MacLean's 6th Grade class in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2011:

Click on the image above to view the paintings in more detail!

You can also see some examples of the artwork created by Maria Chio's 2010 class at Jum Barnes Middle School in Seguin, Texas, USA here: http://www.thaneeya.com/news/art-in-the-classroom-part-1/ They were inspired by my art and instructed to use only the primary colors, plus white, to create their paintings. It was a great opportunity for them to learn about color mixing, in addition to composition and pattern-making!

Here are links to several more examples of paintings created by following this tutorial, posted by members of The Art Colony, the sister site to Art-is-fun.com:

If you create a painting based on this tutorial and you'd like to share it with us, please consider joining The Art Colony and uploading your artwork!

Selling art or publicly displaying art made by following this tutorial

This painting lesson shows you how I make abstract paintings in my signature style. It took me many years of experimentation to develop this style of abstract painting.

When
you're starting out, it's helpful to be inspired by other artists
and their working styles. It's okay to copy for educational purposes, as long as you credit the artist whenever you display the piece online or offline. (Selling is another story, which I'll get to in a moment.) But don't copy other people's art too much - adapt the ideas that you're learning here
to suit your own needs - to reflect your own personality, interests
and experiences. The more you learn in your quest of how to paint
abstract art, the more you will find your own style and your own artistic
"voice".

For example, as my abstract style developed, I was influenced by tribal art, Aboriginal art, modern abstract art (particularly Paul Klee, Hundertwasser and Kandinsky) as well as Persian miniatures, Indian textiles, Mexican Huichol art, Peruvian retablos, and a host of other imagery and styles that fueled my creative fire. I internalized these influences, pondered the elements that I found most attractive, and through a series of trial and error, developed my style and techniques that I'm sharing with you here.

I truly enjoy sharing my techniques so that others may also enjoy the process of making art, rather than keep my processes a "trade secret" like many artists do. I figure, if making art makes me happy, I'd love for it to make you happy too!

So now the question: Is it okay to sell art made from this tutorial?

Selling the art you make from this tutorial is fine if you are a hobbyist and you created one or two pieces in this style. As long as you made the painting "your own" and didn't copy my art directly, then I'm fine with that. But if you create several paintings based on this tutorial and you want to sell them, then you really need to think about how that will impact your art career.

If you are trying to make a name for yourself in the art world then it's very important that you develop your own style. The art world is smaller than you might think (thanks to the Internet) and trust me, people will notice if you copy another artist's style without crediting them. Developing your own style is one of the most important things you can do for yourself if you seek an artistic career. In the words of Lilla Rogers, owner of a famous art agency: "You can be influenced but you cannot copy or look derivative. In fact, it’s sad to copy. It means you think you have no voice of your own. Plus, it’s illegal and immoral and wrong and most manufacturers don’t want to touch it." (- from an interview with Design*Sponge)

Please take all of this into consideration before you decide to sell any art you create from this tutorial. If you do decide to go ahead and publicly display or sell your paintings that you made based on this lesson, please give proper credit, such as "Title of artwork, based on a tutorial by Thaneeya McArdle" or "Title of artwork, inspired by the work of Thaneeya McArdle". I thank you in advance!

Remember: This page demonstrates
just one method of how to paint abstract art in acrylics. There are also many other ways to go about making abstract art.

Use these ideas as a starting point to create your own style.It's a fun process!Just lift your wings and fly!